Psychology Assessment and History Quiz

Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment

• Psychologists assess, diagnose, and treat mental disorders.
• They assist individuals experiencing temporary or self-contained life problems, including marital issues and life stressors.
• Work environments include companies, helping with employee selection, performance evaluation, and assessing the impact of work conditions on behavior.

Role of Psychologists

• Apply psychological principles to legal issues through observation and interviews within the legal system.
• Study human behavior and the changes that occur over time.
• Investigate the physiological foundation of behavior in both animals and humans.

History of Psychology

• Aristotle emphasized empiricism, suggesting knowledge stems from experience.
• The concept of mind and body explores dualism (separate) versus monism (mind as a product of the brain).

Key Historical Figures

• René Descartes championed dualism, proposing the mind controls the body via the pineal gland and introduced the idea of reflexes.
• Immanuel Kant's nativism posits that certain knowledge is innate, shaping human perception.

Evolutionary Influence

• Charles Darwin introduced natural selection, where best-adapted organisms survive and reproduce, influencing behavior.
• Types of genetic selection include stabilizing, directional, and divergent selection.

Nature vs. Nurture Debate

• Both nature and nurture contribute to behavior; empirical studies such as rat mother behavior and twin studies support this.
• Rat mothers' caregiving behaviors significantly impact offspring development.

Schools of Psychology

• Wilhelm Wundt founded modern psychology, establishing the first laboratory in 1879.
• Structuralism, led by Edward Titchener, emphasizes understanding the mind through introspection.
• Functionalism, advocated by William James, focuses on the purpose of mental processes, contributing to evolutionary psychology.

Behaviorism and Psychoanalysis

• John B. Watson introduced behaviorism, focusing solely on observable behavior.
• B.F. Skinner advanced behavior modification principles through reinforcement.
• Sigmund Freud's psychoanalysis involves extensive mind analysis to uncover unconscious motives.

Humanistic Psychology

• Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow emphasized personal growth, self-awareness, and individual agency, challenging deterministic views.

Psychology and Diversity

• Emphasis on incorporating diverse human experiences in psychological research to better understand constructs.
• As of 2015, a large majority of psychologists in the U.S. were white, though many psychology faculty members are women.
• The field faces a "leaky pipeline," indicating challenges in representation across racial and ethnic minorities.

Modern Psychology Approaches

• Psychology encompasses a range of theories and methods, with many psychologists adopting an eclectic approach.
• Modern practices often integrate multiple schools of thought to address issues like Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).

Learning Outcomes

• Define psychology and distinguish its various forms.
• Trace the historical development of psychological thought.
• Articulate the nature versus nurture debate's significance.
• Compare foundational schools of thought: structuralism, functionalism, behaviorism, psychoanalysis, and humanism.
• Describe the current focus and eclectic nature of modern psychology.